Toes in the Water, Toes in the Sand

By the time you're reading this, I will be happily en route to Turks and Caicos with my fabulous family. I have been counting down the days to this wonderful vacation since we booked it before Christmas! We are so lucky that USC, Auburn, and my high school (where my mom works now), all AMAZINGLY had the same break. We almost couldn't believe it. After consulting with each other and deciding that a family vacation was very much what we all needed, we booked it! My mom and I are rendezvousing in Charlotte and my dad and sister are meeting in Atlanta. We will then all meet up in Turks and Caicos.

It's been just over two months since I've seen everyone and I am bursting at the seams. I was also officially diagnosed with strep throat on Thursday, so a lazy vacation under the sun is exactly what the doctor has ordered.

We also realized that there's a PRETTY GOOD chance that this is, very unfortunately, our last real opportunity for a family vacation. I actually really hate thinking about that. It's a weird feeling, but I guess, also exciting. More just weird. Anyway, I am THRILLED to be going on a big last hurrah with the Rudders!

Everyone be safe in your spring break adventures!

xxKatie

Beach Bound: The Best Company in the World

When traveling to the beach, you think of all  your packable essentials: Costas, toothbrush, phone, sunscreen, phone charger, iPod, books, towel, hat, bathing suit--if you forgot everything else, you'd still be in good shape! However, another essential isn't packable. You GOTTA surround yourself with fabulous beach buddies in order to properly enjoy the beach. Although today is our last day of our Bethany Beach vacation, my dad and I are headed home. For the first time in awhile, this trip to the beach was just me and the fam, naturally I surrounded myself with the best beach buddies out there!

Like I said, Dad and I had to pop home because I have to go back to school and work and he's a workin' man too. Today ALLLLSO just so happens to be Father's Day! So happy Father's Day Daddyo! (PS: This is among my favorite pictures of us--matching in our favorite crab-wear!)

I wish we were staying later but it's back to the real world for us! In our place, my mom and my sister will get to spend time in the beach house with my grandmother and one of my mom's sister's so they'll still be in absolutely wonderful beach company! We've even nicknamed the perch atop our 3rd floor of the house Nan's perch so it's only necessary that she's returning up there!

I'm a big fan of taking friends to the beach too! Just over 2 months ago, as y'all know, I went to the beach with a big group of friends for a fraternity event:

Here was our house! And what a fun group we were! I've brought out many different friends to our house in Bethany through the years and they've certainly enjoyed the break!

A HUGE part of a good beach trip is the company you surround yourself with. A funny beach sign I've seen says, "You never know how many friends you have until you own a beach house!" 

xxKatie

Spring Break: Photos

In my house photos are never in short supply. My mom's biggest hobby is taking pictures and I'm so thankful. Every big event, family trip, and school production have been recorded in photos. Spring Break is another place to snap as many photos as possible!

Arizona

My sister took the best picture of my dad and I after we climbed Cathedral Rock. I had a Rocky pose going on and he's just up there with me, but it's one of my favorite vacation photos:

Turks & Caicos

That Ellery dress is one of my faves and how cute does my sister look in Coral Me Crazy?!

Good ole' fam shot

This year we'll have to get a good family picture too! I love that all of our fun times are documented thanks to my mom, sister, and I all being shutterbugs! I'll have to add my camera to my list of things that I MUST remember!

xxKatie

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday to the best Dad ever!! Can't wait to hang out with you when I come home in a few days!

(See the resemblance?)

xxKatie

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day!

That's me and my fab dad! (You can totally see the resemblance here, that's for sure!) This is us at a wonderful little Turks and Caicos diner that we went to twice. I got some killer chocolate french toast! Now go wish your own dear-old-dads a Happy Father's day! I love you dad!

xxKatie

Vacation Lovin'

So as I write this post, most of my family is sitting comfortably, relaxing at the beach while I'm at home working all weekend! I'm pretty jealous, but then again I can't complain since I love my job and I'll be off for a week of personal vacation/roadtrip (hmm, this is probably the 8,000th time I've talked about that trip) on Tuesday! As I was thinking about Vacation, I was also doing some online browsing and look what I came up on:

The Essie Resort Collection! How great are these colors?!

As most of you all know, I went to Turks and Caicos for Spring Break with my fam, so I was automatically a fan of Turquoise and Caicos! I've only met a few people who have even heard of T&C, so I was thrilled to see the naming people over at Essie were creative enough to use that! I also LOVE the Splash of Grenadine color since I've always been a Shirley Temple fan. Also how great is that bird brooch? So fabulous, with all the collection colors!

I also have Essie's "Sandy Beach" color which I love! It's a great neutral for fingernails during the summer when you need a color to go with everything. On my toes I'm currently wearing "I Need a Vacation" (which is very ironic...apparently when I bought that one and did my nails a week ago, my subconscious was trying to tell me something):

It looks great on and I really like the color for  my toes. I also bought the Essie To Dry For, which is their quick-drying top coat. I like it, but I still really had to be careful about what I did with my nails after I did it. It isn't a hardening top-coat, so although the top layer was dry, it was still very malleable and my fingerprints and sheets made a mark. What I probably needed to buy was the Instant Dry Oil instead. But hey, I can't complain since my Ulta had a promotion that was buy 2 Essie nail polishes, get 1 free! 

I'm totally becoming an Essie lover and I don't see myself going back to other stuff any time soon. A few of my friends are OPI users, but I really think Essie's got the top notch stuff!

What are you favorite brands/colors? (I LOVE the names, so please let me know!!)

xxKatie